Opinion: Poll: Gov. Sanford’s political fate

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So it turns out that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was not, in fact, hunting wolverines in Alaska with at 12-gauge. Amid swirling rumors about his unexplained absence after he returned to the U.S., having spent Father’s Day weekend in Buenos Aires, he admitted today to having an affair with a woman in Argentina. According to The State’s Gina Smith, who broke the original story, the governor’s whereabouts were unknown to his aids, who previously said they thought he was hiking in the Appalachian mountains. His wife, Jenny, told CNN Tuesday she didn’t know where he was either: ‘I am being a mom today. I have not heard from my husband. I am taking care of my children.’

With his admission, Sanford followed Nevada senator John Ensign, pied-piper style, off the politically relevant cliff. Democrats are already taking swipes and calling for Sanford’s resignation.

Sanford left last Thursday without leaving so much as a post-it note telling his aids where he went. While he denies intentionally deceiving his staff, he also described his own actions as ‘shrouding.’

Wait, wait, since when was ‘shrouding’ not the same as deceiving? Also, since when did trans-hemispheric e-mail conversations start leading to politically damaging physical relationships? It is one thing to need some vacation time -- don’t we all -- but it is another to leave without telling anyone. As a governor, Sanford has given up the luxury to travel wherever he pleases without anyone knowing.

--Kevin Patra